by Chiah Wilder
She nodded. “I totally get what you’re saying. I feel the same when I’m cycling along the trails. It feels good to be immersed in nature. For me, it melts the stress away.”
He kept his gaze fixed on her, but didn’t say anything. The softness in his eyes had her wanting to reach out and touch him. Stifling the urge, she shifted her eyes away.
“Am I making you nervous?” he asked.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she replied, a slight crack in her voice.
Leaning back, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Because you’re beautiful.”
The compliment made her stomach flutter, and she shifted in place. “Thank you.” Wanting to change the subject, she asked, “How long have you been with your club?”
A laugh erupted from his chest. “Did I embarrass you?”
“No.”
“Then what? You don’t like a man noticing you?”
“You’re not ‘a man,’ you’re the boss. Big difference.” She rummaged through her backpack, pulling out another tea. “So, how long have you been in the motorcycle club?”
“Okay, we’ll change the subject.” He cleared his throat. “Going on thirteen years.”
Surprised, she looked up at him. . “That’s a long time. Were you in high school when you joined?”
He shook his head. “At seventeen, I hung around the club, then prospected for a couple of years. I patched in at twenty.” He took a pull on his beer. “Joining the Insurgents was the best thing I ever did. It fuckin’ saved me.”
“What do you mean by that?” Ashley ran her finger along the top of the bottle before putting it to her lips.
“Let’s just say, I was on a one-way road to destruction.” He looked away, turning his attention to the waterfall.
“Did your parents support your decision to join the club?”
“My parents? Fuck.” Snorting, he met her gaze. “They didn’t give a shit about any of us.”
There was a gap of silence.
“Some parents are that way,” she said, pulling at a loose thread in the blanket.
More silence.
Smokey tossed the empty beer bottle to the side and reached for another one.
“Were yours?”
“My dad was. My mom was great, but my dad didn’t give a rat’s ass about us. He pretended to give a damn for show, but he didn’t.”
“Are your folks still together?” Popping the top, he tipped the bottle to his lips.
“No. My dad took off when I seven, and never paid one penny of child support. Every time the Department of Social Services dragged his ass to court, he’d always say he wasn’t working, or only had a part-time job, but it was all lies.” Pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them. “The few times he’d come by to take us out for ice cream, he was always dressed real nice. And the cars he drove weren’t second-hand clunkers, that’s for sure. I guess he thought we wouldn’t notice, or was rubbing it in our faces, I’m not sure which. What an ass.”
“Yeah, my old man was a selfish bastard too.”
“Did he cheat on your mom? My dad thinks there’s always someone better, so he’s cheated on every woman he’s been married to.”
“How many wives has he had?”
Biting her lower lip, casting her eyes upward, she tried to recall. “I’m not sure if Kat is his sixth or seventh wife.” She shifted her gaze to his. “Let’s just say, there have been many.”
Smokey laughed. “I agree with you. But my old man’s only love was the bottle. He was around twenty-two years old when he started, and the sonofabitch never stopped until he died at the age of forty. I’m pretty sure he cheated on my mother, but it never came up in our household if he did. The asshole would disappear for weeks at a time, and never left us any money. We lived on cereal, but none of my brothers or I cared, because the only time we had any peace was when the bastard was gone. He drank hard and ruled the house with an iron fist. He was …” Smokey’s voice trailed off, his jaw clenching as if some dark, buried memory had suddenly illuminated in his mind.
Leaning forward, Ashley touched his knee. “I’m sorry you had to go through what you did.”
It was as if her words had snapped him back to the present because he jerked his head and pushed her hand away.
“It is what it is.”
Sensing he was angry about revealing a part of his past, she didn’t say anything else.
For several minutes, silence filled the space between them. Feeling an urge to fill the void, she said, “I’ve never been on a motorcycle.”
The corner of his mouth hitched up. “You’d like it.”
“I think it’d be scary.”
“You could handle it. I’ll have to take you for a ride sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
“Yeah.” Slipping a hand inside his vest, he took out two joints. “Do you smoke?”
“It’s been a long time.”
“Do you want one? This stuff comes from the club’s dispensary. It’s top-notch shit.”
“No thanks. Maybe another time.” She watched him cup a hand around the joint to light it. “I bet the club’s business does well.”
“Yeah. We’re the only one in the county.”
“Really? I’m surprised there aren’t any other dispensaries. In Denver, it seems like there’s one on practically every corner. Do you grow too?”
Smoke curled above his head. “Yeah, we do it all. We got some lounges since the law passed for recreational use.”
“Any others in town besides yours?”
“No.”
“I guess you guys have a monopoly.” She laughed, but he didn’t join in, giving her the impression he didn’t want to talk about the club’s marijuana business any longer. “Do you hang out where Diamond dances?” she blurted out. Why the hell did I ask about her?
He shifted, placing himself only a few inches away from her, looking her dead in the eyes. “Are you trying to find out if I go to strip bars?”
A warm flush crept across her cheeks. “No.”
“You’re cute.” Reaching out, he gently ran his finger down the side of her face. “And Diamond works for Dream House, our gentlemen’s club. Different members work the club when needed.” His lips twitched, as if he was fighting back a smile. “I’m also not fucking her.”
Ashley turned away. “I didn’t ask that.”
“But you wanted to.”
“Whatev—” She gasped when he grabbed her by the hips, placing her in his lap with her legs on either side of him.
Breathing in his scent—and without thought—she slid her arms over his shoulders and lowered her head as he craned his neck, seizing her mouth in a hungry, possessive kiss. Telling him to stop never crossed her mind. Ever since their first kiss, all she’d been wanting was Smokey’s lips on hers again.
His ragged breathing shivered into her ear before his tongue darted inside. Tingles scattered through her body and a low moan vibrated along her throat. Running a hand up her back, his fingers grazed the back of her neck and squeezed, forcing her closer. She didn’t care that she could hardly breathe, reveling in the sensations of their tongues teasing, mingling together.
“Ashley,” he rasped.
Butterflies fluttered around her stomach as Smokey dragged his lips from hers, trailing hot kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Running her fingers down his back, she traced the thick muscle on either side of his spine.
Bucking his hips against her, a feral grunt exploded from his throat. Raking his teeth down her neck, he bit gently sucking an earlobe between his lips. Ashley groaned and threaded slender fingers through his hair.
“Fuck, baby,” he growled as his mouth returned to hers, his tongue sweeping inside.
His hands wandered down her back and over her hips before sliding underneath her tank top to cup her breasts.
Burning pleasure shot between her legs, and she stiffened. She wasn’t ready to take the next step, even th
ough her body ached to feel him inside of her.
“Let me make you feel good,” he whispered, as he skimmed his lips along her jawline.
Reluctantly, she untangled her arms from around his neck, dragging her fingers over his strong shoulders to his firm chest. His hard pectorals felt nice under her hands, and for a moment, she wondered how they’d feel against her bare breasts, her tingling nipples. Stop it! Pushing against his chest, she squirmed out of his grasp and got to her feet.
“I’m sorry, Smokey, I’m not thinking straight. It’s my fault—I got carried away.” She bent over and scooped up her backpack.
“Bullshit,” he said. A deep frown marred his face as he rose to his feet with a sharp sigh.
Avoiding his stare, she shook out the blanket and began folding it up.
“What the fuck’s your problem?” The anger in his voice could cut glass.
“Nothing. I just came to my senses.”
“Bullshit again. Tell it to me straight.”
Ashley pressed her lips together and met his gaze. “I don’t want to be another notch on your work belt.”
“I told you I don’t fuck my employees.” He held up his hand just as she started to reply. “And you’re just doing a gig for my company, so you’re still Zach’s employee.”
“So if Ivy, Georgia, Sabrina, or Katrina were just doing a gig, you’d be all over them?”
Scrubbing his face with his hand, he shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t be. I’m not interested in them.” The muscle in his jaw tightened as he looked away, then back again. “I’m not like you’re dad. That’s the real problem with you—you think I spend all my time chasing tail. I bet you think every guy’s a cheater.”
Winding the end of her ponytail around her fingers, she tugged on it lightly and released it. She stepped back and folded her arms across her chest.
“How many serious relationships have you had?”
He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “None.”
“I didn’t think so.” Lifting her chin, she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder.
“Don’t be so fuckin’ smug about what you think you know about me. When was your last relationship?”
“I’m trying to make partner, okay?”
He rocked back on his heels. “That isn’t what I asked. But I’m guessing the answer is either a long time ago or never.”
She fought against her anger, pissed that he could see right through her. But most of all, she was mad for revealing too much about herself to him. The anger she carried inside had been boiling beneath the surface for a long time. How could I have let my defenses down?
“I have to go.” She turned away and walked toward her bicycle.
“You can keep running, or you can face your demons head-on. I bet you got a few more you didn’t share with me.”
After attaching the backpack to her bike, she looked over her shoulder at him. “I’ll see you at the office on Monday, and we’ll discuss the marketing campaign.”
“Fuck, Ashley, you’re so tightly wound. You need to relax.”
“I’m fine. We” –she whirled around and waved her hand between them—“aren’t going to happen. The sooner you get that, the sooner I can finish up this project and get back home.”
“No worries, baby—I got it. Just make sure you don’t have a meltdown before I get my money’s worth.”
“I always deliver. And stop worrying about me—it’s annoying as hell.” She jumped on her bicycle and took off down the road.
Twenty minutes later, the rumble of Smokey’s motorcycle filled the air just as she turned into the Visitor Center’s parking lot, where she caught a glimpse of his hard profile as he sped past.
Putting her bike on the rack, she sat down in the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel, and swallowed hard against the bile that rose in her throat. That’s what I wanted—to have him treat me like everyone else.
Then why did she feel hurt and slighted that he’d ignored her when he rode by?
A frustrated sigh pushed past her lips. Enough already! I have to get my life back on track.
Ashley pulled out of the lot and glanced at the time. She wanted to make it back to the house before the handyman and his weird sidekick left.
And more than anything else, I have to stop thinking about Smokey. Mr. Sexy was too much of a distraction. She had to distance herself emotionally from him, and she had to stop kissing him. Period.
Easier said than done.
Ashley rolled down the window, cranked up the radio, hit the gas, and headed back to town.
10
Bud’s Grill was a Pinewood Springs landmark that drew in locals and tourists alike. Located just south of downtown, the iconic restaurant dated back to the late 1940s, when burgers were slung from behind the counter for fifteen cents apiece. Since its inception, the family-owned eatery had served the same menu for generations: hand-crafted burgers, fresh, hand-cut fries, and milkshakes—hand-dipped, and individually whipped the old-fashion way. With its ancient sign propped up on a slightly lopsided roof, Bud’s Grill was a Pinewood Springs institution. A few tables with brightly-colored umbrellas dotted the front and sides of the eatery, and the interior had the wood-paneled, comfortable vibe of a much visited spot.
“This burger is amazing,” Nicole said before taking another bite.
“Ever since I read about it in the guidebook, I’ve been wanting to try it. It’s in the top twenty list of best burgers in the country,” Ashley took a sip of her chocolate milkshake. “I’m going to have to do a few extra miles of biking after this lunch.”
Nicole laughed. “What about me? I have to try on bridesmaid dresses tomorrow. Mariah’s going to kill me, but this is worth it.”
“You could afford to put on a few extra pounds. You look thinner than when I last saw you. What’s going on?”
“Work. I keep thinking I’m going to screw up this new job.” She grimaced. “I know I’m being paranoid, but I feel like a fish out of water. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew.”
“No way. You’re smart as hell. A new job is always a bit scary. I still stress over big accounts and whether a client’s going to like what I propose. You just need time to get comfortable.”
“I’m sure you’re right. I’d feel better if I’d landed this job right out of college. Waitressing and working at a dress salon didn’t exactly prepare me for working at an architectural firm.” Picking up her root beer, she took a long sip.
“But you were interning at different firms. There’s no way Cushing Architecture would’ve hired you if they didn’t think you were a good fit. They’re one of the top fifty firms in Denver.”
“That’s true. I’m still reeling from getting the job. I’m sure in six months or less, it’ll be routine. How do you like working at a construction firm? And how’s it going with your new boss? Danielle wants every detail”—Nicole picked up her burger—“and so do I.”
Tilting her head back, she groaned. “I’m doing a shitty job of being a professional.” She met Nicole’s gaze. “I’ve never had a problem with keeping my work separate from my personal life, but …”
“Mr. Sexy is too sexy, right?” Nicole giggled. “I think your rule of not getting involved with men at work is crazy, especially for you since all you do is work. I mean, where else are you going to meet a man?”
“Having a relationship with someone at work makes everything more complicated. I’m vying for partner, anyway, so it’s not like I have a lot of time. Besides, I’m working for Mr. Sexy right now. If he doesn’t like what I’m doing, he can pull the plug. I don’t want to compromise the contract with my firm.”
Reaching across the table, Nicole stole a handful of fries from Ashley’s plate. “Sounds like a lot of rationalizing to me. Taking a chance in the man department once in a while wouldn’t kill you.”
“I don’t agree. Nothing ever good comes of crossing that line. So he’s handsome—a lot of men are. I’m a sucker for bad boys, but this o
ne isn’t only my boss. He drives me crazy.”
“Then this should be a no-brainer, right?”
“Not necessarily, because the irrational part of me wants to just say ‘fuck it’ and throw caution to the wind.”
Just as Nicole was raising the glass to her lips, she stopped, her eyes dancing with amusement.
“Damn, girl—you’ve got it bad for him. I’ve never seen you like this with any man before. This is great.”
A frown pinched the space between her brows. “No, it’s not. I’ve been acting like a girl with a crush, and it’s embarrassing.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s okay to ogle and fantasize about your boss.”
“I’ve done one better—I’ve kissed him.” Groaning, she covered her face with her hands.
“No damn way! You’ve kissed Mr. Sexy and you’re just telling me this now?”
“Not so loud.” Ashley looked around. The other diners were engrossed in their own conversations, paying them no mind.
“Did you kiss at the office?” Nicole whispered.
“No. Once in a diner’s parking lot and then later on the front porch a few nights ago, and yesterday I bumped into him in Glenwood Canyon.” She stirred her milkshake with the straw. “And to make matters worse, he’s an amazing kisser. What the hell am I going to do?”
“You’ve been working too hard for too long if you have to ask. I say go for it.”
“But I’m not looking for any complications.”
Nicole laughed. “What’s complicated about having a fling with your hot boss? You already know it’ll be temporary since you’re only here for a few months. Hell, you might as well have some fun.”
“What I forgot to mention was, Mr. Sexy is quite the Casanova, and I just don’t want to be another one of his conquests. Women are drawn to him like bees to honey.”
“Do you feel that way?” Nicole popped the last bite of her burger into her mouth and chewed.
“It’s more like a moth to a flame.” Pushing her plate away, Ashley placed her elbows on the table and cupped her cheeks in her hands. “I’ll figure it out.”